1. Field of the Invention
A dual pneumatic actuator gate or door closer.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Numerous gate and door closer designs have been developed over the years. These designs include pneumatic closers with pneumatic cylinder/piston arrangements.
Typically a cylinder is disposed in a chamber for compressed air to enter and a path for the air to leave and a piston with some type of action system. There are several different types of action systems for pneumatic cylinders each providing a slightly different kind of force. The first and most simple version is the single acting cylinder, where a piston oriented system forces compressed air through a solenoid valve into the back of the piston. This highly compressed air seeks the easiest way to exit and exerts a force on the piston face. As the piston is pushed out the air exits through escape valves positioned further down the cylinder. The piston falls back naturally in place until another burst of compressed air is fired into the cylinder.
The single acting cylinder can also be modified with a compressed spring mechanism, inserted between the end of the cylinder and the side of the piston opposite where the compressed air enters. This system works in a similar fashion but after the compressed air is released, the piston is forced back down to its original position at the end of the cylinder by the spring. This system is used for repeated linear motion involving heavy loads and requires a greater force of compressed air to complete cycle.
Pertinent examples of various designs are set forth below.
U.S. Pat. No. 369,203 and U.S. Pat. No. 1,190,563 disclose a door closer employing a single spring to return a door to the closed position after being extended or stretched by applying mechanical force to opposite ends thereof when opening the door.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,935,989 shows a door closer of the cylinder/piston type pivotably mounted to a door at a point adjacent the piston rod end of the cylinder. A leaf type spring may be added between the cylinder and the door. This configuration increases the closing force to the door as the door closes.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,471,708 describes a pneumatic door closer including an elongated cylinder with a bore extending axially thereof and end walls and a piston slidably reciprocable within the bore. A sealing ring of resiliently deformable material is disposed in a groove with greater diameter than the piston so as to project outwardly thereof. Since the axial dimension of the groove increases radially outwardly to a dimension greater than the diameter of the ring, the ring may move axially therewithin. When the piston moves toward the door closing position, the sealing ring bears against the diverging wall surface of the groove and the wall of the cylinder to restrict flow of air and when the piston moves towards the door opening position, the sealing ring bears against the generally radially extending wall surface of the groove to permit flow of air thereby.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,920,609 relates to a door closer comprising a housing, a plunger rod in the housing with a plunger at the inner end of the rod and a main spring disposed around the rod between the plunger and a housing end for urging the rod into the housing. With the door closer connected to a door, an actuator slides into a latch space when the door has been opened to hold the door open. A further opening movement raises the actuator out of the latch space and a sleeve maintains the actuator raised, permitting closing of the door.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,317,922 shows a door closer includes a cylinder and a piston sliding along the cylinder. The door closer has a speed adjustment knob extending from a first end for varying the closure rate. A door lock maintains the piston in an extended position and keeps the door open. The lock includes a washer sliding on the piston rod in a first position and locking the rod at a second position. The washer has a tab that engages an angled surface in the first position to prevent locking engagement with the piston rod. A rotatable end cap rotates the washer between the locked position and the unlocked position.
U.S. Pat. No. 8,051,534 relates to a pneumatic door closer comprising an elongated cylinder with a displaceable piston defining a vacuum chamber and a pressure chamber within the elongated cylinder wherein the piston is normally biased toward a door closing position by bias or spring. A piston rod connected to the piston has its free end extending through a rod opening that includes an air impervious seal formed about the piston rod extending therethrough. Disposed in communication with the vacuum chamber is a breather arrangement for diminishing in a controlled manner the level of vacuum being created within the vacuum chamber during the closing stroke of the piston to control the resulting resistance forces acting on the piston such that the closing speed is essentially uniform throughout the closing stroke.
Additional examples of the prior art are found in U.S. Pat. No. 1,286,664; U.S. Pat. No. 2,198,402 and U.S. Pat. No. 2,969,560.
While some of the prior art may contain some similarities relating to the present invention, none of them teach, suggest or include all of the advantages and unique features of the invention disclosed hereafter.
The present invention relates to a pneumatic gate/door closer coupled between a gate post or door jamb and a gate or door.
The pneumatic gate/door closer comprises a pair of tubes and a corresponding piston/rod combination at least partially disposed within the corresponding tube and movable between a retracted position when the gate/door is closed and an extended position when the gate/door is open.
A bias or compression spring movable between an expanded position or configuration when the gate/door is closed and a compressed position or configuration when the gate/door is open is disposed within each tube to move the gate/door from the open position to the closed position as described hereinafter.
The tubes are coupled together by a first coupling block or union; while, outer end portions of the rods are coupled together by a second coupling block or union. A first actuator rod is attached to the first coupling block or union and to the gate or door by a gate/door mount; while, a second actuator rod is attached to the second coupling block or union and to the gate post/door jamb by a post/jamb mount.
When installed, the bias or compression springs are expanded while the substantially parallel rods are retracted within the tubes. Upon opening the gate or door the actuator rods extend compressing the corresponding bias or compression spring 28.
When the open gate or door is released the bias or compression springs expand drawing the rods inwardly relative to the corresponding tube. Actuator rods slide in the alignment channel returning the gate or door to the closed position.
The invention accordingly comprises the features of construction, combination of elements, and arrangement of parts which will be exemplified in the construction hereinafter set forth, and the scope of the invention will be indicated in the claims.
For a fuller understanding of the nature and object of the invention, reference should be had to the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings in which:
Similar reference characters refer to similar parts throughout the several views of the drawings.
As shown in
The pneumatic gate/door closer 10 comprises a pair of substantially parallel tubes each indicated as 16 and a corresponding piston/rod combination each generally indicated as 18 at least partially disposed within the corresponding tube 16 and movable between a retracted position (
Each piston/rod combination 18 comprises a piston 20 disposed within the corresponding tube 16 toward the first end 22 thereof and a rod 24 attached to the piston 20 extending outwardly through an aperture (not shown) formed in the second end 26 of each tube 16.
A bias or compression spring 28 movable between an expanded position or configuration when the gate/door 14 is closed (
The substantially parallel tubes 16 are coupled at the first ends 22 thereof by a first coupling block or union generally indicated as 30; while, the outer end portions 58 of the substantially parallel rods 24 are coupled together by a second coupling block or union generally indicated as 32. A first actuator rod 34 is attached to the first coupling block or union 30 and to the gate or door 14 by a gate/door mount generally indicated as 36; while a second actuator rod 38 is attached to the second coupling block or union 32 and to the gate post/door jamb 12 by a post/jamb mount generally indicated as 40.
As best seen in
The gate/door mount 36 comprises a bracket 60 affixed to the gate or door 14 and pivotally coupled to the free end 62 or end opposite the first coupling block or union 30 of the first actuator rod 34 by a pin 64 and a hollow mounting member 66 to receive the pin 64 therethrough. The post/jamb mount 40 comprises a bracket 68 affixed to the gate post or door jamb 12 and pivotally coupled to the free end 70 or end opposite the second coupling block or union 32 by a pin 72 and a hollow or mounting member 74 to receive the pin 72 therethrough. A plurality of apertures separately indicated as 76 are formed in the bracket 68 to permit adjustment of the location and direction of the biasing force of the pneumatic gate/door closer 10.
The pneumatic gate/door closer 10 may further include a stop assembly to adjust the overall or effective length of the pneumatic gate/door closer 10 when the gate or door 14 is in the fully open position as shown in
As shown in
The outer end portion of the first actuator rod 34 is disposed within a recess or channel 108 formed in or through the stop mount 102.
As shown in
The outer end portion of the first actuator rod 34 is disposed within a recess or channel 108 formed in or through the stop mount 102.
As shown in
As shown in
The outer end portion of the first actuator rod 34 is disposed within a recess or channel 108 formed in or through the stop mount 102.
As shown in
The outer end portion of the first actuator rod 34 is disposed within a recess or channel 108 formed in or through the stop mount 102.
As shown in
The outer end portion of the first actuator rod 34 is disposed within a recess or channel 108 formed in or through the stop mount 102.
As shown in
To install the pneumatic gate/door closer 10, brackets 60 and 68 are affixed to the gate or door 14 and gate post or door jamb 12 respectively. The pneumatic gate/door closer 10 is then mounted to the gate/door 14 by passing pin 64 through apertures 78 formed in bracket 60, hollow mounting member 66 and a hole 80 formed through the end portion of the free end 62 of the first actuator rod 34 that extends through a hole 82 formed through or in the side of the hollow mounting member 66 and mounted to the gate post/door jamb 12 by passing pin 72 through corresponding apertures 76 formed on bracket 68, hollow mount member 74 and a hole 84 formed through the end portion of the free end 70 of the second actuator rod 38 that extends through a hole 86 formed through or in the side of the hollow mounting member 74. Pins 64 and 72 are secured to brackets 60 and 68 respectively by cotter pins 88 or similar securing devices.
When installed, the bias or compression springs 28 are expanded while the substantially parallel rods 24 are retracted as seen in
When the open gate or door 14 is released the bias or compression springs 28 expand drawing each rod 24 into the corresponding tube 16 as the substantially parallel actuator rods 34 and 38 slide in the alignment channel 48 of the second coupling block or union 32 and the first coupling block or union 30 respectively returning the gate or door 14 to the closed position as shown in
The air pressure within the substantially parallel tubes 16 between the corresponding front end 22 and corresponding piston 20 modulates the speed of the closing of the gate or door 14.
The tube and piston/rod combinations of the pneumatic gate/door closer 10 may comprise a device such as a SMART LION part #1107T-52 pneumatic closer or similar closer.
It will thus be seen that the objects set forth above, among those made apparent from the preceding description are efficiently attained and since certain changes may be made in the above construction without departing from the scope of the invention, it is intended that all matter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawing shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.
It is also to be understood that the following claims are intended to cover all of the generic and specific features of the invention herein described, and all statements of the scope of the invention which, as a matter of language, might be said to fall therebetween.
Now that the invention has been described,